Big Foot

Zeke is almost 5 months old and HUGE. He went to the vet today and he weighs in at 40 pounds - it's always a bit scary when the vet is frightened by how big his feet are. He is on some new medication to help his skin allergies, and hopefully help him feel better! Isn't he a pretty boy? :) He'll be on the antibiotic for 30 days and then we can take him back for his "alteration." Merry Christmas, dude. Snip!

Bonus picture:


Crazy ears, crazy hair. Ready for a nap!

Stamping with Old Friends

Last night at my Stamp n' Scrap Night we skipped scrapping and made several Christmas cards and gift tags. There were a few special guests, too, which always makes it more fun. First, my friend Dora Lee came with her two adorable daughters. Dora and I have been friends since high school where we shared many wild adventures. We've always stayed in touch, but we haven't seen each other in probably 12 years. Here she is stamping with her 3-year-old:


The other special guest was the daughter of my friend, Leslie. Leslie and I have also known each other since high school and are really lucky to live right up the road from each other since we both love crafting! She is a scrapbooking diva and I totally wish I could scrap like her! Since we were just making cards she asked if she could bring her daughter, who is in 2nd grade. Like her mother, she was brilliant and creative.


All the first-time stampers had a wonderful time and everyone got to take home some cute cards and tags. I love stamping with friends!

Chloe was here

Can you tell that Chloe has been in my closet?


I just don't know where on earth she gets those tendencies from.

Fun with Glitter!

Chloe had the best homework ever this weekend! She was supposed to enlist her family's help in decorating a turkey coloring page to hang up at school. She wanted to go for a bling-y turkey, and I was more than happy to provide the shimmer!

We used a LOT of glitter, glitter glue, 2-way glue, and flocking velvet. Even Bradley helped pour on the glitter. Chloe colored him, first, with colored pencils. Then, we used 2-way glue and glitter (by SU! and Doodlebugs) on his feathers. His feet, and (what's that thing called?) wattle? thing are flocked. We used Crystal Effects on his beak and to stick on his googlie eyes.



Here's a close-up - you can really see the glitter and flocking:


I wish *I* had homework like that. I guess there's not much I can add glitter to in grad school work, huh?

Still waiting...

Well, my computer is still not working - so I'm updating from Mike's laptop. He's going to work on it today, so then hopefully I can get caught up on my card posting, because I have a TON of cute stuff to share! :)

Happy Birthday, Bradley Allen.

It doesn't even seem possible that it has already been four years since my sweet little boy was born. How did he go from this...


to this...
to this...


to this...

to this...


Before I could even realize that my little baby was a toddler, and now a rough and tumble boy-child?

He's always been my little cuddle bug - and now more than ever I cherish all the hugs and kisses he offers because it won't be long before he won't want to be seen with his mom, let alone smother her with kisses.

He's a gentle child, always trying to help others and caring so much about everyone. I hope he never loses those qualities.

He's funny and clever and loves to laugh. And, oh, the sound of his laughter! He brings me out of dark moods quicker than a shot of serotonin!

I cannot imagine my life without him - my little miracle of a child.

Mama loves you from here to forever, Bradley-boy. Happy birthday!

Down on the Farm

We spent the day at Dewberry Farm yesterday, and had a blast as always. It's been a tradition for a while now - check out pics from previous years here. It was WAY more crowded this year than every before, though, so if you are going to head out I highly recommend you buy your tickets online ahead of time. We pack lunch and the kids eat the car because even the lines for food are crazy. This year the wait for one turkey leg was over 30 minutes!

Here's Bradley on the tractor - his favorite part of the experience:


We went through the Corn Maze for the first time ever and it started out fun... with Mike in the lead we made it to the center of the maze and the lookout tower pretty quickly.


But then we tried to rely on Mike to get us out. Yeah.


So, I had to take over the lead and I got us out after Mike had led us back to the center THREE times. Scenic route and such. Gah! What IS it with men and directions? :)

We finally made it out to the actual patch, and the kids all had a great time finding the most sincere pumpkins in the whole patch.






After a LONG day in the sun, we headed out to Katy and the Rainforest Cafe, where we always have dinner after we visit the Farm. Since Bradley and Lexi both have birthdays coming up, the kids all shared the famous Volcano dessert. Everyone had a wonderful time - but I am burnt to a crisp.

I somehow managed to get sunblock on everyone else - but not myself. I am lobster red and already have blisters. I have no clue how I'm going to deal with work tomorrow, but I guess I'll figure it out. I've already tried fresh aloe from my backyard, processed aloe from the drug store, and now I'm moving on to the vinegar treatment. Yikes!

Despite the burn, it was a great weekend. I love fall!